Local Plane Crash

[charlie sherrill]

It happened last night around 11:30. A Texas doctor was piloting a Mitsubishi MU 2 private plane on a path from Houston to Destin, Fla. Speculation is he was trying to make an emergency landing in Hattiesburg, Ms. at the local Municipal Airport when the plane crashed into a home about a mile from the airport. The doctor/pilot and two passengers were killed as well as one occupant of the home. The occupant of the home was the husband of a Hattiesburg Police Department Dispatch Supervisor who was not home at the time of the crash. The home was destroyed by an explosion and fire. Anyone wishing to follow this can got to WDAM TV.com.

 

[johnbeaver]

In the United States, the MU-2 had a spotty safety record during its early decades, as its high performance coupled with a relatively low purchase price appealed to amateur pilots who did not appreciate its demanding flight characteristics compared to simpler piston engined aircraft.
This from wikipedia.

 

[JayCeeNC]

Charlie, when I saw the location of this I immediately thought about you.
Sorry to hear of the ground casualty of the dispatchers husband.

 

[Jessie]

The Mu2 has a nickname of doctor killer. They're affordable for them and they're fast and comfortable. Unfortunately, the pilot/doctors are usually low time pilots. The plane is safe enough if flown within its envelope but it has small wings and not forgiving of too little airspeed.
My prayers go out to all who lost someone in the crash.

 

[SMSgt]

The Mu2 has a nickname of doctor killer. They're affordable for them and they're fast and comfortable. Unfortunately, the pilot/doctors are usually low time pilots. The plane is safe enough if flown within its envelope but it has small wings and not forgiving of too little airspeed.
My prayers go out to all who lost someone in the crash.

It's the new Bonanza V-Tail.

 

[LVSteve]

In the United States, the MU-2 had a spotty safety record during its early decades, as its high performance coupled with a relatively low purchase price appealed to amateur pilots who did not appreciate its demanding flight characteristics compared to simpler piston engined aircraft.
This from wikipedia.

Sounds like the modern equivalent of the A-model Martin Marauder. A slick aircraft that needs more training than was originally thought necessary.

 

[6518John]

It's the new Bonanza V-Tail.

They were always called the twin-tailed doctor killers around here. My best friend growing up had so many close calls flying with his crazy Doctor dad in one that by the time he was old enough, he would wedge his arms and legs in the doorway to keep from being forced on the plane. His dad learned to go behind him so he could force him in.

Prayers for everyone involved in this down in Mississippi.

 

[Golphin]

That is sad. Prayers for all families involved.

 

[arjay]

A former neighbor of mine crashed his experimental plane a few years ago at a local airport while doing touch and goes. He and his 20 yr old son died. Weirdly enough his dad crashed his plane in Mexico in the late 60s and died too. I know a lot of pilots including my family,but I'd feel safer skiing off of a cliff!

 

[fordson]

When gravity win the argument with aerodynamics, the out come is seldom good………

 

[Beemerguy53]

Flying is one of those pursuits, like motorcycling and the shooting sports, that is unforgiving of errors or carelessness...

 

[31FordA]

I remember the MU-2's reputation for accidents back in the late 1980's. It's a good airplane, but unforgiving when a pilot let's the plane get ahead of him. I haven't seen too many in recent years. When I read the story of this crash and saw it was a MU-2 my first thought was "oh, a MU-2, figures".

 

[cowboy4evr]

It irritates me when people refer to the V-tail Bonanza as " the doctor killer " . They make is sound like it's such a complicated airplane to fly that even people with higher education have a hard time flying them . I have quite a bit of flight time in V-Tail Bonanza's . My first was an E model 1954 and my 2nd was a V-35A , 1968 and both were V-tail . I got my instrument rating in my first one , single yoke no less . They are a very stable , good solid airplane with tremendous flight characteristics and potential . I proved to an instructor just that . I did ,very steep 3 full power on stalls , right in a row and recovered from the last over 1000 ft higher in altitude than when I started . He was amazed . LEARN the airplane , study it , every airplane is different . Then you will become proficient in it . Regards Paul

 

[LVSteve]

LEARN the airplane , study it , every airplane is different . Then you will become proficient in it .

Just like cars and guns.

 

[Sistema1927]

LEARN the airplane , study it , every airplane is different . Then you will become proficient in it . Regards Paul

Agree 100%.

However, far too many people buy airplanes, fly airplanes and don't study, never become proficient, and end up doing controlled flight into terrain or worse.

I personally knew of one pilot who upgraded to a Beech Baron, He was informed by ATC of a thunderstorm on his path, responded that he saw it on his color weather radar, flew right into it, and entered eternity with three passengers. He was expecting expensive hardware to make up for his personal deficiencies, and paid the ultimate price.

 

[muddocktor]

Agree 100%.

However, far too many people buy airplanes, fly airplanes and don't study, never become proficient, and end up doing controlled flight into terrain or worse.

I personally knew of one pilot who upgraded to a Beech Baron, He was informed by ATC of a thunderstorm on his path, responded that he saw it on his color weather radar, flew right into it, and entered eternity with three passengers. He was expecting expensive hardware to make up for his personal deficiencies, and paid the ultimate price.

And you know, that doesn't just hold for people who don't study their aircraft and get proficient with it too. 2 cases in point, Scott Crossfield, who was a famous test pilot and the first man to make a mach 2 flight, died flying a Cessna 210 into severe thunderstorms which tore his plane apart. Or Steve Fossett, who held over 100 world records, who flew into a mountainous area in a Super Decathlon and encountered downdrafts that were stronger than the aircraft could climb and hit a mountain and died. These guys were very experienced but didn't give their circumstances the proper respect needed at the time of their accidents.

 

[vt_shooter]

People tempted to buy an MU-2 should ask themselves why there aren't many of them left.

 

[MygunisaS&Wrevolver]

It's the new Bonanza V-Tail.

Don't forget the other two Doctor killers, the Cessna 210 Centurion and the Piper Malibu Mirage!

 

[ggibson511960]

I have a good pilot friend that clued me in as to why MU-2's are death machines to knowledgeable pilots. The single engine rate of climb airspeed is about 50 knots above normal takeoff rotation speed. That means that if an engine is lost at the instant of takeoff or before the plane accelerates to the minimum single engine speed, the airplane is coming down uncontrolled. This is not good. Losing an engine on takeoff is the worst case scenario that light twin pilots train for. The large gap between speeds is a unique characteristic of MU-2's that the FAA let slide. What also hurts is that the wings do not have ailerons for control, but spoilers. Spoilers work by killing lift, the very thing needed when low and slow on only one engine. Some pilots overcome these problems by holding the aircraft near the runway after takeoff and accelerating like mad in ground effect till safe single engine speed is reached. The FAA had to require specialized type ratings for the MU-2, unlike other light twin engine planes, to stave off the numerous accidents. MU-2's have extremely small wings with high wing loadings that cause these woes, all in the name of higher cruise speeds at altitude, but less forgiving faults when low and slow. I wouldn't get in one, but they do look sexy. The governor of South Dakota died in one that lost an engine at altitude and couldn't descend in control, the very reason a twin engine airplane should be safer.